Honeymoon Heaven: Regency La Toc

Last week I spent a beautiful four days on the island of St. Lucia. St. Lucia is down in the Caribbean right beside Barbados and above Venezuela. This country is unique because it has a lot of different influences. Because of its history, the island has been influenced by British culture. As a member of the British Commonwealth, the people have a lot of evidence of their European influence. The island of course has its own wonderful culture as well, which is tied back to its earlier past and its geographic location. This small island is only 27 miles long by 14 miles wide, but because of the mountainous landscape, driving from one side to the other takes a good hour.

The breathtaking views of crystal blue water and the lush green mountain tops are simply stunning. As we were driving from the airport to our resort, we went through a massive rainforest and hundreds of banana plantations. The country is hardly developed with many of the people living close by the small two-lane road in little shacks or small homes. This leaves deep forests and lush valleys full of fruit trees and tropical palms. Bananas were the main economic driver for the country until tourism took hold with help from the Sandals resorts.

Our driver was kind enough to tell us some of the history of the island from a local viewpoint. He pointed out the banana trees and the mango trees. He explained how banana farming takes place on the island and pointed out the best views as we were passing them by.

Stephan and I chose to book our vacation through Sandals. This was the best decision. Sandals truly takes care of their guests. At the airport we were quickly picked up by a bellman who carried our luggage and led us to a special waiting room for Sandals' guests only. We were greeted by smiling faces, yummy snacks, and ice cold drinks. We waited here briefly before our shuttle arrived to pick us up and transport us to our tropical paradise.

Upon arriving to the resort, our luggage was unloaded and tagged so they could deliver it to our room. We were led into the lobby where we were greeted with champagne and iPads to check into our rooms. Our hotel was called the Regency La Toc. This resort was located in a small cove beside the main town, and capital city, Castries. After resting in the lobby, we were shuttled to our room.

Stephan chose a wonderful room. The resort offers a lot of different options from basic hotel rooms to private homes with their own private pool. We were in little blue houses that had one room on the bottom and one on the top. We had the top room with a private balcony and an excellent view. We were a short distance from the lobby and all of the main restaurants, but far enough away to have a little space from the other guests.

By this time, we were exhausted from traveling. After being up for nearly 30 hours straight, we arrived to our room in St. Lucia around 5 p.m. Stephan and I instantly fell asleep and slept until around 10 p.m. before getting up to find a bit to eat. The only restaurant open after 9 p.m. was the pub above the pool. They have amazing burgers and some delicious potato wedges doused in parmesan cheese with a side of french onion dip.

The rest of the restaurants on the resort offer equally delicious options. From mahi mahi at Neptunes by the ocean to chicken parmesan and tiramisu at Armondo's at the top of the hill, the food is amazing. The best part about an all-inclusive, Sandals vacation is that you walk into a restaurant and order anything on the menu. You can order two or three meals if you want! While at the resort, you pay for noting. This includes drinks by the pool and a little wine with dinner. Your meals and drinks are all included in the price you pay when booking your room. Stephan and I literally spent $0 at this resort.

We never left the resort while we were there. They have tours of the island on land and on a boat, but we had only three full days to spend there. We decided to relax on the beach and lounge by the pool instead of going out on the island. If you do choose to explore, do not go out on your own. Only explore the island with Sandals approved vendors because this island is very dangerous with one of the highest crime rates. The resort itself is very safe, but venturing on your own is not a wise decision.

Stephan and I had a great time on this island. It was a perfect honeymoon destination. I'd definitely go back in the future and hope that we will one day.